Chapter 2

1 The moon slip through the clouds, illuminating the dark night. Hiding on one of those colossal branch of Kara tree, Aki waited patiently. 10 meters below him is a steep ravine where fireflies started to swarmed around a certain spot. Moments later, a beautiful, pink, glowing flower blooms in the spot. This time, more fireflies gather around the flower. Aki slightly shows relief though its only the beginning of the quest. The Lumen flower is a wild, rare type of magic plant. Its unique scent attracts fireflies and which is a key ingredient to make a lumen paste. It only blooms once every month. Because of rarity, its price will not go below 500 Bali which is enough to buy a B class weapon. Aki tighly tie his rope on the branch and descends carefully. A full bloom Lumen flower has a very strong smell that can go over a mile. Not only fireflies it captivates but also wild monsters in the area. The expensiveness of the flower doesnt only owes to its rarity but also to the difficulty of it to acquire. Aki must moves real quick before any wild monsters were entice to pose a problem. Hi

and that would

Descending about 25 meters from the branch, he bring out his knife, listening carefully to the surrounding, ready to stab any spotted enemy. An owl screeched cracking the stillness of the night. He gets near the flower, making the fireflies distance from him. The flower is so beautiful when watch closely. Aki plucked the flower with the aid of his knife. The flower is so delicate he put it inside the deerskin bag, filled with water to cusion any impact it encounters. Things go smoothly until he shifted his way to the rope where he descended. A black cat as high as his shoulder could reach confronted him. This must be a rare type monster. He told himself. The monster pick up the scent so fast. The cat sluggishly make a pace towards Aki, like a predator facing a cornered prey. Suddenly, it leaps into the air to rip Aki with his fangs. But Aki is fast enough to grab the nearby rotten branch smash it with all his might in the incoming predators head before ts fangs deepen into Akis body. The cat propells sideward but agile enough to keep up his bearing and quickly launches another fearsome attack. Another offensive swing could not quickly make it that Aki found himself in full defense. The cats wanted to rip akis body so much that his fangs almost dig into akis body after the attack but aki defensively managed to set up the branch between them, onto the cats mouth. He could barely take the assault that he was push laying to the ground, still managing to push the branch against the cat. The cats right paw instinctively strike into aki but aki swiftly wringles sideward, weakening his left arm to let the ground support the left sideb of the branch. The cat loses its balance that its paw misses aki. The cat, instead of pushing more, pulled out the branch between them and aki gladly break free, throwing the branch away between them. Before the cat reverted his head towards m aki, akis knife already digged intobthe cats neck. When their eyes meet each other, aki deepens the knife more and swifly push away the cat with its might leg and lurched backwrd while rendering the cat to prostration. But the cat was determined to get revenge that he leaps again forward, like he is putting his life in this last assault. This time Aki renders defenseless. The massive body could not be blocked by a knife nor have a time to find something for

such thing. The fangs almost touches him when something as massive as the cat the cat, redering them somersaulting to the right.

thrown itself to

Before Aki realizes what’s happening he quickly pick up his bearing ang run towards the rope and started climbing. He shifted his sight to the two beast fighting each other. One is defeating. He slip away like a thief in the night. The next morning, the sun rose like an intense yolk. The air is fresh and cold. The grass and leaves were cover with dew. Its half past ten when he woke up. After a breakfast of bread, he hurriedly took the deer skin bag and leave. Where are you going? His Auntie asks as she noticed Aki. Central Plaza. I’ll come back soon. His Auntie is his only family left, though she is not her real aunt, she took care of Aki like her real son. Aki was still a baby when she found him. Aki arrived in central plaza. The plaza is crowded with shops, mercatile establishments. The streets were line with vendors selling with assoerted items. At the far end is a collosal tree 40 meters in diametr. It is exactly at the center of the city and the official seat of the Chief General of the state, the highest official in Pyros. As he make his way through the crowded street, an man whose skin wrinkles from oldness took his attention. He is one of those vendors. You young guy. Aki look around making sure it was him whos is the old man talking. He pointed his finger to himself. Yes you. Come. Aki steps closer. How about buying one of my stuffs? Im sorry sir. Please. Even only this hp potion. It heals any deap wounds upon drinking it. I will give it to you for just 50 Bali. Aki know himself its bogus. Hp potion comes not below 500 Bali. Its too cheap to be believable. How about 45? Ok 40? Thats last price. Im really sorry sir. Im in a hurry. Moments later, an officer with three escort soldiers approach the old man. Your under arrest Mr. Hawkings tor fraudulence. Resist not and blood not.

will smea

Sorry gals but you wont going to catch me. The old man bring out three small bottles with liquids of unknown content.

Everyone stay away. Before Aki could run, the old man throw the bottles on the ground and a white unpleasant smoke filled the street. Smoke bomb and its not not an ordinary one. Anyone who take even a midget of it, will eventually drop unconscious. The old man knows it. Its one of his very own experiments. Aki could feel his body feel numb after taking a small breath. He cover his nose with his hand and barely do it. Moments later, the street is now clear with smoke. People in the vicinity lay on the ground unconscious. But Aki could see the officer tightly holding the old man and was chain already. How did you survive from my potion. Thats the best I have. We have aticipated your assault. The officer that could barely audible from the mask he wore. Im sorry for the inconvenience people. Medics will come sooner. You kid. How did you survive that? I dont know. You need to see a doctor. Nope. Im fine. And Aki swiflty disappears from the scene, avoiding more trouble. He finally reach one of the shop: .He went inside one of those shop. The room smells strange, from aromatic to unpleasant. Mixture of pungent. On the right is shelves with bizarre jars. Some were eyes in liquid, snakes corpse. He make his way toward the counter. Theres no one. He press the bell in front of him. A dwarf was in front of him. Whats your bussiness sir? Aki bring out a piece of paper and showed it to the dwarf. Dont waste your time kid. Let those experience hunters handle that. The paper is a quest leaflet. One Lumen flower for 600 Bali Signed: Eren the Alchemist of Black Shop Im not here for a cheap talk. Aki showed the bag with the flower inside. The Lumen flower glow in intense crimson in the dim room. It cant be. How do you get it? It will be a long story. I dont wanna waste your time. You buy it to me or not. Wait wait ok. Here 600 Bali. No more no less. Now get out of here.

Where you will spend the money for? Aghamesh So your planning to be one of those warriors? I could still buy some meat. He then went home. I will see if theres quest i could try. Carefull. Aki arrives in the Quest Hall. It must be the most magnificent stone building in the Pyros. It must be because it was the most number if completed quest throughout the archipelago. The ouside walls were curved with the symbolic monster of Pyros, the Agion, a creature whose head, wings and front limb is that of an eagle and the rear is that of a lion. It is always at the front line tame by elite soldiers of Pyros. Aki walks-in as he feels the humid air damped on his skin. Inside is so spacious you can fit a 50 footer monster. On the right side is the receiving quest, where rich nobles, alchemist, black smiths, collectors, send their quest to look for a certain rare item for them, or do something special for them like killing a monster or even catching criminals which is always done by the government. On the left side is the receiving quest. Aki could see warriors, great men line there to receive a quest. At the center is a wide long board semi arc. Its a aquest norice board where only a brief description of quest is being hang for everybody to look at but the the details could only be accesed at the receiving quest si low skill quester will be denied accesed to above their levek of quest capable of. In that case, casualties of daring questers is avoided. It was divided into 5 equally spaced partition. From the left most side of the board is the shell quest, copper quest, bronze quest, silver quest and gold quest each with respective difficulty from easy to the most diffucult quest. Aki notice the only guy in the gold quest area. It was Argus. He must be an S class warrior. Aki thought. Taking as the leader of his party, he is renowned for the record of taking a 3 gold quest for just a month. That was just amazing and insane. Gold quest usually involves killing hideous monsters pestering a village or even a city. At the silver quest section, more questers were huddle. Usually coming from a nearby city-state or even as far as the athena just expecting a more difficult quest. But what Aki notice more is the girl as young as him in the silver quest section. Her long black hair was tie like those of the hunters at the Mayon mountains. She must be one of those. For a young age, Aki have accomplished silver quest for many times. But taking 5, 6 or even more silver quest for just a period of 3 days wont be enough to collect the money he needs for the exam. He is also a solo quester and that eould make things much more difficult. He never had been into a party.

He tried to look in the gold quest section. The lowest reward must be the least difficult of them all. Sonhe started scanning for the reward closest to 10,000 Bali which is the lowest range for a gold quest. He found one. It involves skilling an Anectote Cobra, a giant snake whose saliva dissolves any organic matter. The reward is 10,000 Bali. The monster is an epic class but the reward was only 10,000 Bali. Usually, this kind of confrontation should not get below 20,000 Bali of reward. Its too risky. The paper notice is old. Its been 6 months when no one tried to take it. Its not surprising. Its too risky yet the reward too cheap. Hey you kid. Get out of here. You have no place here. A man in expensive armour swept Aki to the ground. You must be lost. Dear thats where the shell quest is. You still have lots of shell to pick before getting here. Hahha m. The ma laugh so hard. The rest followed. They must be the partymates of argus. Aki looked at the girl who is now watching him. He felt insulted. He is about to launch an assault when someone grab him to stand. Im sorry sir my friend have You must take him. He might get beaten up before he realizes. What are you doing? Im helping you. Well i dont need your help. You just makes me more dumb in them. Why? Its true. I mean you know you cant beat them and its Argus ok? A warrior kniws no defeat. A true warrior is one who knows when to retreat. We know your a shell quester and as much as we do like to try one of those gold quest, as a copper quester, and the leader of our party, im inviting you to a copper quest. In a party. You havent into a party? Nope. Wow how dissapointing. Then that just